Fumigating tent



nec. 9,1924.

E. A. KLEIN FUMIGATING TENT 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Dec. 19, 1923 5mi/. Mn

DEQ@ 9s E. A. KLEIN FUMIGATING TENT Filed Dec. 19, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 f ffm Patented Dec. 9, 1924.

UNITED STATES EMIL A. KLEIN. or Los ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

Application led December 19, 1923.

\ To all whom t may] concern.'

l'e it known that I, EMIL A. KLEIN, a citizen of the United States.y residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Fumigating Tent, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a fumigating tent to be used for facilitating the fumigation of plants or trees bearing fruit. Such fumigating tents are set in position over the tree or plant to be fumigated, so as to envelop the same, and operate to confine the fumigating gases around it. One of the difficulties arising in the use of such a tent is that if it rests upon the branches of the tree, the eliiciency of the fumigating operation is interfered with, and furthermore, the tree or fruit may be injured by the contact with the fumigating tent. Another difficulty arises in sealing the lower edge of the tent at the ground line, which is necessary to prevent the escape of the fumigat- Ing gas.

The vgeneral object of this invention is to produce a fumigating tent of simple construction, which can be readily applied to the plant or tree to be fumigated and which can be operated without resting on the branches of the tree; also to provide a tent of this kind with means for eiectively seal- ETI ing` the lower edge of the tent at the ground line.

Further objects of the invention will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel features and combination of parts to be described hereinafter, all of which contribute to produce an efficient flunigating tent.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is described in the following specication, while the broad scope of the invention is pointed out in the appended claims.

ln. the drawings:

Fig. i is a side elevation illustrating a tree with one of my fumigating tents vset up alongside of the same and ready to be applied over the tree Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the tent completely set up;- as in use;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, but showingV the tent 'as viewed from another side; i

Fig. e is a side elevation illustrating one of the elements or sectors which l preferto employ in constructing the dome of the tent;

Serial No. 681,553.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken through the dome at one of the joints between the sectors. This section is taken on line 5 5 of Figure 2;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentaryside elevation showing a portion of the lower edge of the tent at the joint or connecting point between two adjacent elements or sectors;

Fig. 7 is a vertical section taken through the lower edge of the dome and through the skirt of the tent, illustrating` details of the construction, and particularly the feature of the invention which facilitates producing a seal at the ground line. This view is upon an enlarged scale and partially broken away;

F ig. 8 is a side elevation showing a portion of the lower edge of the dome and further illustrating details of t-he construction where the skirt o1' lower portion of the tent is connected to the dome. This view is upon an enlarged scale;

Fig. 9 is a vertical section upon an enlarged scale and particularly illustrating the construction at the point of support for the dome; this view also further illustrates the means for supporting the skirt on the dome;

Fig. l() is a vertical section on an enlarged scalev taken at the apex of the dome; and

Fig. 1l is a horizontal section similar to F ig. 5 but showing a modification.

In practicing the invention, I provide a dome l, which is preferably constructed of light sheet metal. If it is desired to have this dome extremely light, it can be constructed of aluminum. However', it may be constructed of light sheet steel, brass or any other sheet metal of light gage. Tt is unnecessary to have this material of heavy gage because of the concave-convex or hemispherical shape of the dome. This shape operates to Lrive the dome the desired stiltness and at the same time enables the domo to t the circular contour of a tree over which the tent is used. The dome is prefer-- ably constructed of a plurality of concave convex, sector-shaped elements or sectors 3 which are arcuate in form at their lower edges, and which are of substantially triangular outline so that each sector forms a point 4 at its upper end. These points 4; meet together and form the apex 5 of the dome, at which point I provide washers 6 of soft compressible material (see Fig. 10).. disposed respectively on the upper sideand f under :side of the sectors, aard yclamped ,in

place between two plates 7 Eby means of e clamping` bolt 8 with a wing-nut 9 onits in ner side. i

The side edges l() of the sectors are connected together, and between the attached edges 10. I provide gaskets which insure that the dome will be substantiallyfgns tight. In order to accomplish this and at the saine time give the dome desirable stillness, I provide the edges l0 with small outwardly projecting` flanges 111, which :may be panfto'l2 angle irons l2 bent to the proper curve and riveted aflong'thefed'ges oi' the sectors. Between the iianges 11, I `provide ithe gaskets l'fl land connect the lfl'anges together b-y :removable bolts 1li (see iIlig. :51).

`Sl'upported ii'rom the lower edge ol the dome, I provides filenible shirt l5 which `In ay be made feit 4duck, canvas orany otherr suitable 'abric. 'This-elett completely envelop-es the spafcebelow the dome, excludes-the air fund/confines the gases. Inorder to'cornplete the construction fof It'he dome and ifa'ciil-itate the supporting of the skirt 15, I 4provide the lower "edge olf the dome -nith a ring` flo, which vis preferably formed el ychannel iron, the 'web T7 -of which is -riveted 1'to fthe flower edge-ot the ydome y(see Figs 8 4anc'l'Ql). 'This ringl is, of course, made in sections Ito kcorrespond with the sectors 3, J(see Fig.

At the ypoint where the Lsections A of :the ring `I6 come together, one ofthe meeting fring sections has its `flanges 1S out awa-y so as to leave the `web of 'the ring section projecting,` outwardly iinthe :form/of Aa tongue E19, `(see Fig. 6). Each tongue overlaps theedjeeent part of web =1"7,gs1id `issecnredato it by -a removable 'bolt 20.

I provide suitable xmeans for 4supporting the dome, which operates 'to support :the same `in such va Lway lthat yit .can be held in a.- tilte'dpositi'on such as 'illustrated i in Figure '1, when being applied to 'the tree, and .-so that the "dome may Vbe swung; over the tree. In 'order to accomplish this, I provide two oppositely disposed 'posts 21 -(s`ee "2), which :are vprovided with a floot Q at the bottom to rest upon the ground. ilu-order to adapt 'the tent to be `used iwith trees et' ldifferent heights, 'these posts @l are iormed of :two sections 2l and 211 connecte-tl 1to- Aseither 'by clamping screws 23 tunning yiu slots 24.

lThe Channel f ring 16 .is supported enit-hose pos'ts'Ql attwo diametrically opposite- `mints by'means oit twopivot bolts "(see F'rg), provided withwing-nuts Qfion clamping the saine to secure the `dome ri `@idly tothe 3 posts in 4.the position shown in Fig'. l lor in1the 'operating position `shown Tin Fig 2. "These clamping "bolts '25 have enlarged Aheads "'27, 'and the upper end of each section 2lb 1is clamped between thishe afd andthe wing-nut.

l"In ordertoprevent the. tent,=wlien-set1up,

from lbeing tipped over easily, 'I y,pnovide a third ,post -28 (see Fig. :3), which is located .half way between the other two posts, and

.the upperend of this ,post is connected by a 'hinge connection 29 to the side of the ring L6 :(esee Figs l and 3). This post is constructed in two sections, so that it is extensible like .the @este 9,.

The skirt l5 is formed of a sheet of duck, canvas or similar eniaterial, which ,extends aronndfthe .loweredgeofthe dome. In order to facilitate its attachment ato the domeiand to insure :a gas-.tight connection, i `provide the .upperedge yoi' the shirt `with a hem .130 Q see Rigi'. f7) iwhich 'forms:aicontinuousfsleeve 31, and receives acordiorcable 32 ofailenihle wire lsuch .as `:picture .cord -`@ne :end of `.this wire fis provided with a :loop :anchored :to a pin 33 .on the web 11T oit-the ring 16 (see 81), located near Ythe point :where the vertical ledges and twot `fthe shirt .come together. Dheseiedges hihand 85 Vare overlapped and pernianently attached itogcther by stitching :36 which entends up -iiroinrthe lowerfedge oi fthe* `ski/rt, ibut ,does inot entend across the sleeve '231. I letrthe flooseend38 of `the .cord or .cable :32 `project out (see Si). IVhen/the sliirtzis put .in-place, the cordv32 vshould.lbejpnlletl tight, ain-d fthe loose end 88 is :then wrapped .around 1a cleat B9 on .the sring. 'The skirt l5 is suspended .on the flower fflange of :the iring "|16, and vthe weight of the skirt pulling upon the :sleeve Sil and the cable 1 32, insures that )aftight aj o'int will beformed atfthezupperedge offthetent.

Ifhdesired the flanges at the edges .of .the sectors I8 :may :be .placed ,fon the inside, see tFig. ttl, in which ilenges llafotfangle irons |12 are connected by ib'o'lts '14 to .clamp the gasket 18a. Y

rluitahle mean-s are provid-ed fior .ins uring that the lower edge of the skirt will be sealed aft fthe .ground line Ito prevent escape of the fumes. In order to accomplish this, I pro iside :annular yielding means :at :the loiver edge foi: ithe skirt, which :is so iconstru@tml that it fadepts itselfto ,the cont/ourlet fthe ground Eline 'and maintains i contact with ithe ground lline at all fpoints, fIn order rto accomplish this, il zpre'ier to lprovide an annular cushion 40 along its lower edge r (see diie'. 7 which lis florinedby turning;v i up i the l outer edge oi the skirt an d scouring tiresome alongV n line ttl. 4l'lhiscushion J1() -is filled with a freely lowingrsubstsnce, suoli essa-ntl, which operetes @to engage yelding'ly with the ground line 42 and insures agatightfjoint, softhet when the cushion P10 restsbjyY itsiown weight on the ground, aneiective sealing` will be -`l'ormed 4at vthis Ipoint. l

J'In orderfto facilitateftheiolding up.I ofthe skirt, when it is desired to remove thetent `"from n tree which flies Abeen iuinigated, I provide a plurality otllifting eo-rds'for cables the cushion 4() and extend around pulleys or sheaves 44, which are attached to suitable brackets on the outer side of the ring. By pulling up on the loose ends of these cords, the cushion can be elevated to a position near the ring 16. In doing this, the person operating the tent should see to it that the skirt disposes itself in a plurality of folds 46. In order to hold the folded skirt in position when the tent dome is in the tilted position illustrated in Figure 1, I provide a plurality of guide bars or stems 47 (see Fig. 4). These guide bars are long bolts which extend down from the lower flange of the ring 16 and lie just inside of the folds 46. Cords 48 are carried by the ring near the guides 47, and these are em ployed to tie up the folds, by attaching the loose ends of the same to cleats similar to cleat 39 already described. If desired, instead of letting the cords 43 hang loose, as illustrated in Figure 7, they may be guided over to a point near the post 28, passing around guide pulleys 49 (see Fig. 3) and thence down to a. point near a cleat 50. By providing` such lifting cords at each side of the tent, two persons can readily raise and fold the skirt, as described above. The cords 43 may be guided through rings or guide loops 51 attached to the outer side of the skirt.

It is understood that the embodiment of the invention described herein is only one of thel many embodiments this invention may take and I do not wish to be limited in the practice of my invention nor in my claims to the particular embodiment set forth.

lVhat I claim is:

1. In a fnmigating tent, the combination of a rigid dome constructed to operate as a covering for a tree, means for supporting the same, and a folding skirt carried by and suspended from the dome, said skirt operating to completely envelope the space below the dome andexclude the air therefrom.

2. In a fnmigating tent the combination of a rigid dome, means for supporting the saine, a folding skirt carried by and suspended from the dome, and annular yielding means other than the skirt and carried at the lower edge of the skirt to rest upon the grmlnd and constructed to adapt itself to the contour of the grounddine so as to seal the lower edge of the skirt.-

3. In a fnmigating telit, the combination of a rigid dome .consisting of a plurality of sectors connected together at their edges, a

ring composed of sections attached respectively to the lower edges of said sectors, a skirt supported in said ring and suspended from the dome, and means for movably supporting the dome to enable the saine to be swung over the tree to be fumigated.

4. In a fumigating tent, the combination of a rigid dome of substantially hemispherical form, a skirt suspended from the edge of the dome and having a bag formed at the lower end thereof containing a freely flowing substance and operating to rest upon the ground to seal the lower edge of the skirt at the ground.

5. In a fumigating tent, the combination of a rigid dome of substantially hemispherical form having a ring secured at the edge thereof, a skirt extending continuously along the ring and having a sleeve adjacent to the ring, an endless cable disposed in the sleeve and securing the skirt to the ring, and means for supporting the dome.

6. In a fumigating tent, the combination of a rigid dome of substantially hemispherical form, a ring consisting of a channel-iron extending around the lower edge of the dome, a skirt extending continuously alongthe edge of the dome and having a sleeve with a cable disposed within the same lying in the channel and supporting the skirt on the ring.

7. In a fumigating tent, the combination of a dome composed of sector-shaped concavo-conveX plates connected together at their adjacent edges, gaskets between the connected edges of the sectors, means for supporting the dome, and a skirt secured to the lower edge of the dome and extending to the earth.

8. In a fumigating tent, the combination of a dome composed of a plurality of sectorshaped concavo convex plates, having flanges at their edges, gaskets between the flanges, means for clamping the sectors together at the flanges, means for supporting the dome, and a skirt secured to the lower edge of the dome and extending to the earth.

9. A fumigating tent having a skirt with anannular cushion formed at the lower edge thereof, said cushion carrying a filler of freely flowing substance and operating to rest upon the ground and adapt. itself to the contour of the ground-line so as to form a seal for the lower edge of 'the skirt.

Signed at Los Angeles, Calif., this 13th day of December, 1923.

EMIL A. KLEIN lll) 

